Drive mechanism



Oct. 23, 1951 E. w. WORTHINGTON 2,572,554 7 DRIVE MECHANISM OriginalFiled Sept. 16, 1944 I 3 Sheets-Sheet l div 0g Qmrfioggfojg 44w fi A/ uI MTTOQN'ELYJ 1951 E. w. WORTHINGTON 2,572,554

DRIVE MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 16, 1944 3 Sheeis-Sheet 3 5 a g. H50 -m-- --5? -o- /54 50- .2%: 1,2 32+ -wr 3 1011 QMOVorZ/whyfaz MM 1 JPatented Oct. 23, 1951 DRIVE MECHANISM Emory W. Worthington, Chicago,Ill., assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, 111., a.corporation of Illinois Original application September 16, 1944, SerialNo. 554,417. Divided and this application May 23, 1945, Serial No.595,279

4 Claims.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No.554,417, filed September 16, 1944, now Patent No. 2,497,648. In thelatter application is disclosed an adjusting mechanism for printingpress ink fountains. Included in such adjusting mechanism is a drivemechanism, which is per se of general utility even aside from the fieldof printing press ink fountains, and which forms the subject matter ofthis present application.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improvedarrangement for selectively driving a desired one or more of a series ofdriven elements from a single driver.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to providean arrangement of the character set forth above in which provision ismade for limiting the range of movement of the several individual drivendevices without interfering with the movement of any other driven deviceor devices even though they are all actuated from the same driver.

Another object is to provide a drive arrangement controllable by meansof a simple low power relay winding or the like to accomplish completionof the driving connection and without the necessity of using slidingclutch elements or the like.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds, taken in connection, with theaccompanying. drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of a housing from the top of whichproject the upper ends of a row of adjusting screws which the presentlydisclosed drive mechanism is adapted to actuate.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through thehousing shown in Fig. 1, and showing a portion of the drive mechanismhoused therein.

Fig. 3 is a tranverse sectional view taken substantially along the line3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View for showing one of theadjusting screws, its associated actuating gearing and controlelectromagnet.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the adjustment mechanism driveshaft and earing carried thereby, with the latter partially sectionedalong the. line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the. control station for the drive mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially along the linel-l in Fig. 6 and also showing a portion of the shafting connected tothe operating knob at the control station, as well as a fragment of thepress frame in which the control station is installed.

Fig. 8 is a simplified Wiring diagram for a portion of the switcheslocated at the control station.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific formdisclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the invention has beenillustrated herein as embodied in a drive mechanism for a series ofadjusting screws 26 (Figs. 1 and 2), each threaded in a housing 23 asindicated at 21 (Fig. 3) These particular screws happen to be arrangedto adjust the flexure of a blade 2!! with reference to an ink fountainroller ll, all as more particularly disclosed in my earlier filedapplication Serial No. 554,417 referred to above. For purposes of thepresent invention, however, such screws are simply exemplary ofpositionally adjustable devices or elements, as such, and to which mynovel drive mechanism herein disclosed may be applied.

The screws 26 are, in the present instance, all adapted to be actuatedfrom a single control station 28 (Figs. 6 and '7) which may, forexample, be located on a press or machine frame at a convenient pointmore or less remote from the screws. This station 28 includes anoperating knob or handle 29 and a group of selector switches 3i], one ofthe latter for each adjusting screw 26. In brief, the arrangement issuch that the operator has only to snap on the desired one or ones ofthe selector switches to connect the operating knob 29 drivingly to thecorresponding screws 26 for rotational adjustment of the latter inaccordance with turning of the knob.

Referring to Figs. 6 and '7, it will be seen that the control station 28there shown comprises a panel 3| fixed to a press frame, fragmentarilyillustrated, in slightly inclined position and carrying the selectorswitches 30. The latter are enclosed at the rear side of the panel by asuitable housing 32. The selector switches may be ordinary double-pole,two-position tumbler switches of the snap-acting type having operatinghandles 30a. The panel 3| bears suitable identifying numbers beneatheach switch handle correlating the same with the corresponding adjustingscrews, and also bears appropriate indicia of the on and off positionsfor the switches.

The operating knob 29 is pinned to a stub shaft 33 journaled in abracket 34 and projecting through a suitable aperture beneath thegroupof selector switches so as to be readily available for manipulationin conjunction with these switches. A single drive shaft 35 (Fig. 2) isused. for imparting motion derived from the operating knob 29 toselected ones of the adjusting screws 25. In the present instance suchshaft projects longitudinally through the housing 23, being journaled insuitable bearings (not shown) at opposite ends of the latter. An axiallyaligned extensiin shaft 35 (Fig. '7) is connected to the forward end ofthe drive shaft by a suitable coupling (not shown). The extension shaft35 is connected at its forward end by bevel gears 37 (Fig. 7) to anupright shaft 38, and the latter is in turn connected'by bevel gears 39with the stub shaft 33 carrying the operating knob 29.

In order that the operator may be apprised through sense of touch of theamount of angular turning movement imparted to the knob or handwheel 29,a detent arrangementis employed for releasably restraining this knob insuccessive an gular positions. In the present instance a detent ball 40(Fig. 7) is received in a bore 4| in the b acket 34 a d is urged by acompression spring 42 against the face of a disk 43 rigid with the hubof the knob. A circularly arranged series of recesses 44 in the innerface of the disk are engaged by the ball one after another. Suchrecesses are spaced at equal angular distances about the rotational axisof the knob as, for example, twelve recesses each thirty degrees apart.

Identical individually engageable couplings are provided between thedrive shaft 35 and each of the series of adjusting screws 26 with whichit is associated (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5). Each of these couplingscomprises a drive gear 45 and a companion driven gear 46 of the samenumber of teeth and pitch diameter disposed side-by-side on the driveshaft. Both the driving and driven gears are shown as spur gears. Thedrive gears 45 are in each instance fixed to the drive shaft, beingintegral with sleeves 41 pinned thereto, while the driven gears 46 areloose on the shaft, being integral with sleeves 48 freely journaled onthe shaft. The sleeves 41, 48 telescoped on the drive shaft 35 alternatewith each other in an end-to-end series restrained against axialmovement as a whole with reference to the shaft.

Freely revoluble spur type coupling pinions 49 are provided for couplingthe drive gears to their companion driven gears to revolve in unisontherewith. Each pinion is broad enough for simultaneous mesh with itsassociated pair of driving and driven gears and is bodily movable in adirection generally transaxial of the later into and out of mesh withthe same.

To swing the coupling pinions 49 into and out of mesh with theirassociated pairs of gears 45, 45, such pinions are journaled on pins 50extending transversely across the bifurcated inner ends of levers 5|pivoted at 52 on brackets 53a (Figs. 3 and 4). The pinions are thuslocated beneath the asociated pairs of gears to swing upward into meshtherewith or downward out of mesh. The opposite or outboard ends 51a ofthe levers 5| are elongated and serve as armatures coacting withassociated operating electromagnets 53. Both the levers 5| and brackets53a are made of steel or other ferrous metal for completion of theelectromagnet flux path through them. Each electromagnet comprises anenergizing winding 54 encirling an upright central core 54a whichunderlies the outboard end of the corresponding lever 5|.

Torsion springs 55 may, if desired, be arrangedto surround the mountingpins 52 for the levers 5| (Figs. 2 and 3) and yieldably urge the latterto tilt in a direction for disengagement of the coupling pinions 49 fromtheir associated gears 45, 4'6 (counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 3).To swing the levers in an opposite (in this case upward) direction formovement of their coupling pinions into gear-engaging position, it isnecessary merely to energize the associated electro-- magnet 53, therebyrocking the" levers 5t clockwise from the position indicated in Fig. 3.

To preclude the possibility of any interference between the teeth of thepinions 49 and their associated gears 45, 45 as would preclude propermesh on approach of the pinions to the gears, pointed teeth arepreferably used. In addition,- the addendum of one gear in each pair isdesir ably slightly less than that of the other although their pitchdiameters are the same.

The energization of each lectromagnet 53 isunder the control of acorresponding one of the selector switches 30 on thepanel 3|. Shiftingof each selector switch 35 to its on position connects its associatedelectromagnet actuating winding 54 across a pair of suitable supplylines Ll, L2 (Fig. 8), whereas restoration of eaclr switch to its offposition open-circuits suclt winding. The extra contacts on the switches35' are used to control a pilot lamp 56 for the bank of switches, suchlamp being wired as shown so: that whenever any one or more of anassociated group of switches 30 is on the pilot lam'p above the panel(Fig. 6) will be lighted.

The electromagnetically operated coupling ar-- rangement described aboveis advantageous in a number of respects. For one thing, it will beperceived that it obviates the use of axially shiftable clutch elementsas, for example, on the drive shaft 35, both the driving and drivengears on the latter shaft being restrained against end wise movement atall times. The problem of backlash incident to wear of clutch teeth isclingnated since the coupling pinions 49 retain the teeth on the drivingand driven gears 45 46 in registry, whenever meshed therewith, eventhouglr such teeth may become worn in use. Moreover;- the arrangement issuch as to require so little power on the part of the electromagnets 53in moving the coupling pinions 49- into mesh that simple, low cost relaymagnets such as those illustrated may be employed instead of the morepowerful solenoids commonly required for operating clutches. A windingdrawing 35 milliamperes at 32 volts has be n found adequate for presentpurposes. Two factors in the arrangement contribute to this low powerrequirement. First of all, the lever arm about the pivot 52 of theoutboard or armature portion of the lever 5| is substantially greaterthan that of the inboard portion carrying the pinion. Secondly, and ofeven more importance, the component of the load force on the meshingpinion and gear teeth tending to separate the pinion from the gears isbut a small fraction of the load. With conventional 14 teeth on thepinion and gears such component is only approximately oneseventh of thetangentially applied load com-- ponent. Consequently, only acomparatively light pull by the electromagnets 53 is required to retain.the associated pinions in meshing position.

Drive connections firom each of. the driven.

gears 46 to their associated adjusting screws. 2i: are desirablyestablished through. worms; and worm gears 51-; 58? (Figs. 2, 3i, 4' and5). in the present instance the worms 5;? are fashioned on the sleeves4'8 of the driven gears 46, whereas the worm gears 53 are impositivelycoupledto the adjusting screws 26 by friction or slip type con.-nections. Byutili'zing self docking or non-reversible worms and sliptypeconnections as noted, it is possible to turn the screws 28' individuallyby hand without rotating the worms and worm gears associated therewith,and it is also possible to arrest positively the rotation of. individualscrews by limit stops hereinafter described with out stopping rotationof the worms. In the in-' stant embodiment the slip type connectionsinclude collars 5'91 pinned to the intermediate porti'ons of respectivescrews, the worm gears beingabutted against the upper faces of suchcollars with the worm gears freely revoluble on the screws. Springs 68interposed between the upper face of each worm gear and a pair ofadjusting nuts 6| threaded on the associated screws press the worm gearsinto frictional contact with the collars to turn therewith except when awormv gear is positively held against rotation by its associated worm,or a screw held against fur ther turning by one of its stops hereinafterdescribed. Such springs 60 are made of resilient sheet metal, beingcentrally apertured for passage of the screw therethrough, and are ofcruciformshape with their laterally projecting arms curled downward andinward to bear against the upper faces of the washers 60a resting on theworm gears. This general type of compression spring is particularlyadvantageous, as compared to a coil spring, in that it has no tendencytowind up during rotational adjustment of the screw as would a coilspring.

A second leaf type spring 62 (Fig. 2) is located on the opposite orlower side of each of the collars 59 and serves to urge the adjustingscrews 26 yieldably upward to prevent play of the screws in the tappedholes 21. These springs 52 eachcomprise a rectangular strip of metalcentrally apertured to receive the screw and having downwardly bent endsresting on the face of a pad 53 provided in the housing 23.

Laterally projecting finger grips 6'4 pinned to the upper ends of theadjusting screws perform three different functions. First, they serve asa convenient grip for turning the screws by hand, such manual adjustmentbeing optionally available in lieu of operation from the controlstations 28, second, they serve as position signals for the adjustingscrews. and, third, they coact with pairs of stop pins 65, 65 to limitpositively the range of adjustment for the screws. In the presentinstance such stop pins 65, 66 are shown (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) as fixed toa cover plate 61 closing the top of the housing 23 and are spaced tolimit the rotation of each adjusting screw to les than one fullrevolution, the permitted range of movement being approximately ninetydegrees for each screw in the illustrated arrangement.

The operation of the disclosed drive mechanism will, in general, beclear from the foregoing. By way of brief recapitulation it may be notedthat the switches (Fig. 7) are normally all in their off positions.Whenever one is on the pilot lamp is lighted. To adjust a desired one ormore of the screws 26 the operator has, only to throw the correspondingswitches 30 to their on positions and turn. theknob. 29. Throwing anyone of. the switches 30. to its on position, energizes the actuatingwinding 5.4 associated with the corresponding adjusting screw. Thereuponthe companion armature 5lais pulled downward (see Fig. 3) so thatthecoupling pinion 49 is swung upward: into. mesh with the associatedspur gears 45, 4'5. Consequently when the operating knob 25! is turnedto revolve the drive shaft 35, those of. the worms 51 which have beencoupled to the latter shaft. through the com panion pair of spur gears45, 46' and pinion 43, are revolved, thereby turning the associatedadjusting screw 25. When. any one of the. adjusting screws26. reachesits limit of travel, its finger piece 54 abuts against the companionstop. pin 55 or 56, as the case may be, thereby holding the screwagainst further turning. Continued turningof the drive shaft 35,however, is permitted by the slip type. connection to the adjustingscrew.

I claim as my invention:

I. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of adriving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions intodisplacement of a movable member, the combination comprising a threadedrod in engagement with said movable member and adapted upon axialdisplacement thereof to move said member, a support providing a threadedbore in which said rod is. threadedly received whereby rotation of therod in either direction will cause axial dis placement of the latter, a.worm wheel mounted on said rod for rotation in unison therewith, a drivegear secured to said drive shaft, a driven gear rotatably journaled onsaid drive shaft in close proximity to said drive gear, said drive gearand driven gear having the same number of teeth and the same pitchdiameter, a worm meshing with said worm wheel and operatively connectedto said driven gear, a lever mounted for tilting movement intermediateits ends about an axisparallel to the axis of said drive shaft and having one portion thereof movable toward and away from the peripheralregions of said gears, a coupling pinion mounted for free rotation onsaid one portion of the lever and having formed thereon a series ofteeth, said pinion being of a width sufiicient to bridge the peripheriesof said gears and the teeth thereon being designed for simultaneousmeshing engagement with said gears, spring means normally urging saidlever in a direction wherein said pinion is maintained out of mesh withsaid gears, and an electromagnet positioned adjacent another portion ofsaid lever, said other portion of the lever having an armature for theelectromagnet and being operable upon energization of the electromagnetto swing said lever in a direction to cause said pinion to engage saidgears to couple the latter together in driving relationship.

2. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of adriving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions intodisplacement of a movable member, the combination of a threaded rod inengagement with said movable member and adapted upon axial displacementthereof to move said member, a support providing a threaded bore inwhich said rod is threadedly received whereby rotation of the rod ineither direction will cause axial displacement of the latter, a wormwheel mounted on said rod for rotation in unison therewith, a, drivegear secured to said drive shaft, a driven gear rotatably journaled onsaid drive shaft in close proximity to said drive gear, said drive gearand driven gear 7 having the same number of teeth and the same pitchdiameter, a worm meshing with said worm wheel and operatively connectedto said driven gear, a lever mounted for tilting movement about an axisparallel to the axis of said drive shaft and having one portion thereofmovable toward and away from the peripheral regions of said gears, acoupling pinion mounted for free rotation on said one portion of thelever and having formed thereon a series of teeth, said pinion being ofa width sufiicient to bridge the peripheries of said gears and the teeththereon being designed for simultaneous meshing engagement with saidgears, spring means normally urging said lever in a direction whereinsaid pinion i maintained out of mesh with said gears, and anelectromagnet positioned adjacent another portion of said lever, saidother portion of the lever having an armature for the electromagnet andbeing operable upon energization of the electromagnet to swing saidlever in a direction to cause said pinion to engage said gears to couplethe latter together in driving relationship, the addendum of one of saidgears being slightly less than the addendum of the other gear tofacilitate initial engagement of the gears by said pinion when saidelectromagnet is energized.

3. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of adriving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions intodisplacement of a movable member, the combination of a threaded rod inengagement with said movable member and adapted upon axial displacementthereof to move said member, a support providing a threaded bore inwhich said rod is threadedly received whereby rotation of the rod ineither direction will cause axial displacement of the latter, a wormwheel mounted for rotation on said rod, a slip connection between saidworm wheel and rod, a drive gear secured to said drive shaft, a drivengear rotatably journaled on said drive shaft in close proximity to saiddrive gear, said drive gear and driven gear having the same number ofteeth and the same pitch diameter, a worm meshing with said worm wheeland operatively connected to said driven gear, a lever mounted fortilting movement about an axis parallel to the axis of said drive shaftand having one portion thereof movable toward and away from theperipheral regions of said gears, a coupling pinion mounted for freerotation on said one portion of the lever and having formed thereon aseries of teeth, said pinion being of a width suflicient to bridge theperipheries of said gears and the teeth thereon being designed forsimultaneous meshing engagement with said gears, spring means normallyurging said lever in a direction wherein said pinion is maintained outof mesh with said gears, and an electromagnet positioned adjacentanother portion of said lever, said other portion of the lever having anarmature for the electromagnet and being operable upon energization ofthe electromagnet to swing said lever in a direction to cause saidpinion to engage said gears to couple the latter together in drivingrelationship,

4. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of adriving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions intodisplacement of a movable member, the combination comprising a threadedrod in engagement with said movable member and adapted upon axialdisplacement thereof to move said member, a support providing a threadedbore in which said rod is threadedly received whereby rotation of therod in either direction will cause axial displacement of the latter, aworm wheel mounted for rotation on said rod, a slip connection betweensaid worm wheel and rod, a drive gear secured to said drive shaft, adriven gear rotatably journaled on said drive shaft in close proximityto said drive gear, said drive gear and driven gear having the samenumber of teeth and the same pitch diameter, a worm meshing with saidworm wheel and operatively connected to said driven gear, a levermounted for tilting movement about an axis parallel to the axis of saiddrive shaft and having one portion thereof movable toward and away fromthe peripheral regions of said gears, a coupling pinion mounted for freerotation on said one portion of the lever and having formed thereon aseries of teeth, said pinion being of a width sufiicient to bridge theperipheries of said gears and the teeth thereon being designed forsimultaneous meshing engagement with said gears, spring means normallyurging said lever in a direction wherein said pinion is maintained outof mesh with said gears, and an electromagnet positioned adjacentanother portion of said lever, said other portion of the lever having anarmature for the electromagnet and being operable upon energization ofthe electromagnet to swing said lever in a direction to'cause saidpinion to engage said gears to couple the latter together in drivingrelationship, the addendum of one of said gears being slightly les thanthe addendum of the other gear to facilitate initial engagement of thegears by said pinion when said electromagnet is energized.

EMORY W. WORTHINGTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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